Iwasaki Yajirō

Yaijiro Iwasaki (born in the 5th year of Bunka, 1808 – July 28, 1873) was a person active as an underground ronin in the Tosa Domain towards the end of the Edo period. His courtesy name was Takakatsu. The Iwasaki family claimed descent from the Takeda family of Kai Province, but because he was an underground ronin serving the Tosa Domain, his livelihood was said to have been unstable. His grandfather was Iwasaki Yajūemon.

Regarding his birth and family background, he was born in 1808 (Bunka 5) as the son of Iwasaki Yosaburo, with his mother named Tsune (from the Komatsu family). His family included his eldest son Yataro (later founder of Mitsubishi Group), and although details about the second son’s name and years of birth and death are unknown, his family also included Iwasaki Yenosuke (later the second head of Mitsubishi), his eldest daughter Tatsu (who later married Yoshimura Naoe), his second daughter Saki (who married Masaomi Fujioka), and a younger son who died young. The family line, including grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and further descendants, has produced many notable individuals.

Throughout his life, Iwasaki Yajiro was known for his noble temperament, straightforwardness, and honest, impulsive personality. In 1855 (Ansei 2), he became involved in a quarrel with Shimada Benemon, a village headman, in which he was seriously injured. As a result of this incident, his eldest son Yataro was also imprisoned, and the Iwasaki family temporarily faced financial hardship.

He died on July 28, 1873 (Meiji 6), and his grave is located at Somei Reien Cemetery in Toshima Ward, Tokyo.

Key references include "The Biography of Hisaya Iwasaki: Iwasaki Family History Vol. 5" (Published by Iwasaki Family Biography Publishing Committee, 1961) and "Yataro Iwasaki (Part 2): Iwasaki Family Biography 2" (Same publisher, 1967).

Additionally, he has appeared in various cultural works, including the manga "The Fierce Golden Country" (by Hiroshi Motomiya, Shueisha) and the TV drama "Ryōma Den" (2010, NHK Taiga Drama, played by Keiji Kanie).